CRA Quantitative & Qualitative Methods 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A researcher wants to measure the central tendency of an ordinal scale variable. Which measure is most appropriate?
- Mean
- Median (Correct answer)
- Mode
- Standard deviation
Correct answer: Median
The median is the most appropriate measure of central tendency for ordinal data because it respects rank order without assuming equal intervals.
Question 2: In ethnographic research, the primary data collection method is:
- Structured surveys
- Randomized experiments
- Participant observation (Correct answer)
- Secondary data analysis
Correct answer: Participant observation
Ethnography relies on participant observation, where the researcher immerses themselves in a community to study behavior in its natural context.
Question 3: A confidence interval of 95% means that:
- 95% of the data falls within the interval
- There is a 95% probability the true parameter lies in the interval
- If repeated samples were drawn, 95% of the constructed intervals would contain the true parameter (Correct answer)
- The sample mean equals the population mean 95% of the time
Correct answer: If repeated samples were drawn, 95% of the constructed intervals would contain the true parameter
A 95% CI is a frequentist statement: over many repeated samples, 95% of intervals constructed the same way would contain the true population parameter.
Question 4: Which type of validity refers to whether a measure accurately represents the full domain of a concept?
- Construct validity
- Criterion validity
- Content validity (Correct answer)
- Internal validity
Correct answer: Content validity
Content validity assesses whether a measurement instrument covers all relevant aspects of the theoretical construct being measured.
Question 5: A researcher coding interview transcripts notices a pattern that was not part of the original research questions. This is an example of:
- Deductive coding
- Axial coding
- Inductive coding (Correct answer)
- Selective coding
Correct answer: Inductive coding
Inductive coding involves deriving codes and themes directly from the data rather than from a pre-existing theoretical framework.
Question 6: The coefficient of variation (CV) is used to:
- Measure the correlation between two variables
- Compare variability across datasets with different units or means (Correct answer)
- Estimate the regression slope
- Test for statistical significance
Correct answer: Compare variability across datasets with different units or means
The CV expresses the standard deviation as a percentage of the mean, allowing variability comparisons across datasets with different scales or units.
Question 7: Which research design is best suited to studying how a phenomenon changes over time within the same sample?
- Cross-sectional study
- Longitudinal study (Correct answer)
- Case-control study
- Convenience sampling study
Correct answer: Longitudinal study
A longitudinal study follows the same participants over time, making it ideal for tracking changes and developmental trends.
CRA Quantitative & Qualitative Methods 2
A researcher wants to measure the central tendency of an ordinal scale variable.
Which measure is most appropriate?